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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOSEPH H. TABONY, OF NE\V ORLEANS, LA., ASSIGNOR OF TW'O-THIRDS TO CHAR-LES E. BLACK AND ATW'OOD VIOLETT, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONE-TRANSMITTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,188, dated hiarch 8, 1887.

Application filed October 4, 1886. Serial No. 215,288. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr H. TA'BONY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Telephonic Transmitters, of which'the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to that type of telephonetransmitters in. which an electrode [0 carried by a diaphragm co operates with a loose or vibrating electrode mounted on a balanced lever.

The invention consists in theconstruction andarrangement ofdevices, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and then set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a telephonic transmitter for carrying out my method of transmission of speech. Fig. 2 is a top view of the movable weighted lever and its supporting devices. Fig. 3 is a detailview of the diaphragm-electrode and its fiistening-screw. Fig. 4 is a diagram indicating the movement of the lever and its electrode.

The referencenumeral l designates the easing or boX of the transmitter, having its front shaped into a mouth-piece, 2, beyond which is a sound-concentrating chamber, 3. The back of this chamber is formed by a diaphragm or plate, 4:, which is made of a greater thickness than the diaphragms used in ordinary transmitters.

It may be stated that asuitable thickness is 33 one-fourth of an inch, and that the diameter or thickness varies in accordance with the weight of the material used in the construction of the diaphragm. Thus, for example, when wood is employed, the thickness is greater than when iron is resorted to. The diaphragm is secured rigidly around its edges by means of a clamping-ring, 5, and by virtue of its diameter and mode of attachment it is not capable of receiving a bodily movement in an in .5 ward and outward direction.

To the rear of the diaphragm is secured an electrode, 6, which is of a square or other form in cross-section, and is secured in place by means of a fastening-screw, 17, passing through the diaphragm and entering the electrode 6. The latter and another electrode, 7, bearing, preferably, upon its top horizontal surface, are made of platinum, carbon, or other electric. conductive material customarily used in the construction of electrodes. The electrode 7 is a pin or lug shaped body, and is carriedat the end of a centrally-pivoted lever, 8, which is mounted in a forked head, 9, having a pendent post, 10. The latter is seated in the tubular vertical portion orsocket-piece 11 of a bracket, 12, secured to the front of the transmitter-box byaflange and screw. Aset-screw, 13, serves to hold the post 10 in position, and provides means for adjusting the post and holding it at different elevations, for the objccthereinaftcr stated.

The lever 8 has laterallyextending arms 8, the ends of which have tapering sockets, into which are fitted screws 18, that constitute the bearings upon which the lever turns. These screws 18 pass through the vertical portions of the forked head 9, and their threadless pointed ends fit into the tapering sockets of the arms 8. The devices described provide efitective means for delicately poising the lever, so that 5 the slightest impulse will move the same. The screws also are made long enough to permit them to be adjusted in order to provide for wear of the contact-surfaces and tightening of the parts. The lever 8, at the end opposite that carrying the electrode, terminates in a screw-threaded rod, 8", upon which is fitted an adjustable milled nut, 14.

The electrical appliances-such as the battery, induction-coil, if used, and line-wires are not shown in the drawings; but I have indicated by the numerals 15 16 the wires connected with the opposite poles of a battery or source of electricity.

Having described the construction of my telephonic transmitter, I will now proceed to describe its operation.

In the position shown in Fig. 1 the lever is in a horizontal position, and the electrode carried thereby rests lightly upon the diaphragm- 5 electrode, so that aerial vibrations of sound received and concentrated in the chamber in front of the diaphragm will produce molecular disturbancesin the latter. These disturbances will be transmitted to the electrode carried by the diaphragm, and be further transmitted to the electrode carried by thelever. As the latter electrode rests very lightly upon the diaphragm and the lever is delicately poised, it follows that it will rise and fall in unison with the sound-vibrations, which cause the molecular disturbances of the diaphragm. In other words, every impulse received by the diaphragm will cause the loose electrode to j ump up and down in accordance with the law governing the action of loose bodies resting on surfaces that are jarred or vibrated.

By moving the weight 14 toward the pivot point of the lever the degree of normal contact between the electrodes is the greatest, and the instrument is then adjusted to respond to loud speech or sound, and by moving the weight toward the end of the screw-rod the degree of normal contact between the electrodes is lessthe set-screw the lever will assume an inclined position, and then the preponderance of weight will be upon the side nearest the diaphragm. Consequently the contact-pressure between the two electrodes will be greater than if the lever is in the horizontal position. The vertically-adjustable lever-support is also useful to properly adjust the electrodes in fitting up different instruments, and also when the proper contact is destroyed by wear of the parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a telephonetransmitter, the combination, with the diaphragm'and its electrode, of the horizontal lever having the adjustable weight and the electrode bearing upon the top of the diaphragm-electrode, the vertically-adjustable post upon which the lever is fulcrumed, the bracket having the tubular socket, and the clamping device, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof Iaffix mysignaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH H. TABONY.

lVitnesses:

PERCY B. HILLs. J os. L. CooMBs. 

